


History Repeats Itself

by sadyeehaw007



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Claustrophobia, Dream Smp, Drowning, Emotional Manipulation, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Memory Loss, Nightmares, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Second festival au, ranboo's execution
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-13 03:08:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28646532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sadyeehaw007/pseuds/sadyeehaw007
Summary: Tubbo found out about Ranboo's betrayal, and he isn't happy. Ranboo gets executed, and Dream is a bitch. Now what?
Comments: 13
Kudos: 170





	History Repeats Itself

**Author's Note:**

> this was just supposed to be a oneshot that i wrote as a warmup. yeahhhhh that went well
> 
> i'll probably update this at some point, but i am not exactly the fastest or most consistent writer. just a little disclaimer before you read.
> 
> :)

"Wait, guys, please, wait a minute, let's talk about this-"

Ranboo was shoved unceremoniously into the box, his head banging against the metal wall. The door slammed shut, darkness filling it. He tried to move, to slam on the door, but he realized with a start how small the box really was.

The top of the box was just an inch or two above his head, and the walls were so close that he couldn't even lift his arms. He couldn't move at _all._ Ranboo took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.

There was no outside light coming in, which meant that the box was probably sealed pretty well. If he kept panicking, he'd run out of oxygen soon. Is that how they were going to kill him?

"Tubbo, guys, please. You don't have to do this," he said, trying to keep his voice level even as his heart raced. "I'm sorry, I made a mistake, just please let me out."

But nobody came.

Ranboo closed his eyes. He would be fine. He just had to-

The sound of rushing water filled his ears.

No.

"No no no no- please, Tubbo, let me out.  _Please!_ "  He screamed, fear leaking into his voice as he slammed his hand against the wall.

They weren't going to suffocate him. They were going to  _ drown  _ him. 

Panic filled his veins as he shouted desperately for someone,  _anyone_ ,  to help him. Did they know? Surely they did, they had to know what water would do to him.

Of course they knew. They wanted him to suffer.

The water flowed into the bottom of the box. A scream tore at Ranboo's throat as the water soaked through his shoes.

It hurt. It hurt so bad, so impossibly bad. The water burned him, the pain searing into him like a brand. He let out a choked sob.

The water rose, covering the tops of his feet. He pounded on the door with a hand that was still stuck at his side.

The water was rising so slowly. He was going to have to feel every bit of this until it rose above his head. Oh god, he was going to die here-

" _Tubbo_!"  Ranboo screamed, the pain soaking into his words. "I'm sorry, I'm  _sorry,_ please let me out." He was sobbing now, and whether it was from fear or from pain, he couldn't tell. The crystal tears rolled down his face and sunk into the water at his feet.

It was at his ankles now.

He had to focus, had to get out of here, but the pain and terror clouded his thoughts. All he could think of was how badly it  hurt .

He couldn't think, couldn't see, couldn't  _breathe._ He was breathing so fast, and yet it felt like the air wasn't actually filling his lungs. Everything was spinning, too much, _too_ _ much- _

Bile rose in his throat as the water burned into his legs. He was shaking, shivering from pain. He screamed again, silently, his voice too hoarse to make a sound.

The water hit his knees. Ranboo leaned his head against the side of the box, the metal cold on his face. His fists were clenched at his sides, his nails biting into his skin. His teeth ground together as he sobbed.

Begging was useless. No one was coming to save him. He was going to die here, alone and in the dark. 

What had he even done? He was being executed, he knew that, but  why? He couldn't remember.

Where was he?

The festival. Yeah. Tubbo  ~~ found his book  ~~ was executing him at the festival.

Why?

why why why why why

why couldn't he remember

...where was he?

No. No no no, he was in L'manbe-

The water reached his hips. His knuckles touched the top of the water. He couldn't move them any higher.

where was he?

why hadn't someone come for him?

was there anyone to come for him?

His hands were in the water

They hurt

Everything hurt

Why was he here?

He didn't want to die.

He didn't.

But it hurt so much, and he was so tired.

The water reached his chest. It felt like he was being stabbed. He tried to move, tried desperately to do  something,  but he couldn't.

He wasn't even strong enough to hold himself up. He remained standing only because there was no room to fall.

Crystal tears ran down his face as new panic flooded him. He was going to drown, he couldn't _breathe-_

The water reached his neck. He took gasping breaths as his throat constricted. He tilted his head back, desperate to keep his face above water.

He took a deep breath

And then he was underwater.

A new wave of pain hit him and he gasped reflexively. The burning water filled his lungs. He choked, thrashing violently. His eyes shot open. They burned too, burned like fire, and he still couldn't breathe.

no no no please

he was  dying

it hurt

it really hurt

really... hurt...

His body went limp as he slowly faded out of consciousness.

He didn't want to die.

\-------------------------------------------

Ranboo shot up in bed, gasping for breath. The cool air filled his lungs as his heart pounded in his chest.

Where was he?

This was his house. How did he...?

Was it a nightmare? No, no, it couldn't have been. But that means...

He died. He drowned in that tiny metal box, and he had just respawned. That meant that he was still in L'manberg. Were they going to be looking for him?

Who?

Whoever had killed him. They would probably be looking for him.

He quickly got out of bed, standing on shaking legs. He had to leave, had to go... somewhere. Somewhere where they wouldn't find him.

Ranboo stumbled to the door, leaning on the doorknob for a moment. The memories of the pain, the cold metal box, flooded through his mind.

He shook his head, trying to shake the vision out. He didn't have time to think about that right now.

He opened the door and stepped out.

Instantly, he was yanked back, a hand over his mouth to muffle his scream. He was dragged behind his house, kicking and fighting as hard as he could. Icy fear ran through him.

"Stop it, would you? I'm trying to protect you."

...Dream?

The hand was removed from his mouth, and he was shoved aside.

"Listen, Ranboo. I'm going to help you, but you have to be quiet and listen to me. Unless you want to go back to the box?"

He looked up at the masked man standing in front of him. Dream's arms were crossed, the blank eyes of his mask staring down at him.

"...I'll listen," Ranboo whispered, his voice still hoarse from screaming during his execution.

"Good. Tubbo and his friends will be here any second. They aren't satisfied with killing you once. And if you stay here, you have no chance of avoiding them. Do you understand?"

_ Tubbo  _ killed him? Yeah, that's right. He's the president.

"Can't I stay with you? They won't... try anything with you here."

"Don't be ridiculous. You're a criminal, Ranboo. You committed treason. Harboring you would break every treaty I've ever made."

_... Treason? _

"This is the best I can do without actively going against anything, alright?"

"Here's what you're gonna do. You remember the way to Technoblade's house, right?"

"What? I can't go there. He'll kill me. You know I was part of the butcher army, don't you?"

Dream shrugged. "You don't have another choice. Come on, we don't have time for this."

"Wait," Ranboo said, turning back towards the house. "I need my book."

Dream stared at him. "The book? Tubbo has the book. How do you think he knows what you did?"

Ranboo froze. "What? He... has it?"

Dream sighed in annoyance. " Yes,  Tubbo has your book. Come  on,  Ranboo. We have to leave."

He nodded numbly and turned back to Dream.

Dream hesitated for a moment, pulling off his coat and holding it out to him. "Here. It'll be a cold trip."

"Thanks," Ranboo muttered, pulling it on. It didn't fit properly by any means, but it was warm. Something clanked in the pocket. He looked at Dream curiously.

"Invisibility potion," Dream supplied. "It'll last until you get through the Nether. After that, it's up to you."

"Thank you. Really," Ranboo said, pulling out the bottle.

"Good luck," he said, the smile evident in his voice. Ranboo uncorked the potion and drank, the sickly sweet liquid coating his throat.

"Wait, one more thing. Tommy's, uh, missing. I'm worried about him. If you see anything, let me know, alright?"

"'Course," Ranboo said. 

Dream turned and left, leaving Ranboo by himself. A small, desperate part of him wanted to call out to him, beg him to stay and protect him from the people who would hurt him, but he didn't. He just watched him leave before turning in the direction of the portal.

Ranboo started walking. His fists clenched and unclenched at his sides. He wasn't sure what he was going to say when he reached Techno's house.  _ Hello, I know I tried to execute you a bit ago, but I just got executed myself. Any chance I can live here for a bit? _

Yeah, this was going to be  fun.

He kept walking. There weren't any people around, which was good. They must still be at the festival.

After a while, he reached the portal. The sun would be going down soon. Now that could be a problem. He didn't particularly want to walk through the wintery biome in the dark, especially without any weapons or supplies. 

Ranboo stepped through the portal, walking out onto the path over the lava lake. He quickly began walking across it, glancing behind him every few minutes. He felt so vulnerable, walking across this thin pathway.

Soon, he reached the other portal. The portal that lead to Technoblade's house. Ranboo took a deep breath and stepped through. 

The cold wind blew into him, his face stinging at the sudden change in temperature. He quickly pulled the coat tighter around himself. It was  really  cold.

His shoes crunched through the snow as he walked. If he remembered right, the house wasn't too far...

It wasn't where he remembered it. 

Of  _course_ it wasn't. Since when could he trust his memory? The sun was going down. He was already freezing cold, and he knew it was only going to get worse when night fell.

He had to go back to the portal. He wanted to go  _ home _ . Ranboo turned back the way he came.

At least, the way he  thought  he came. But he couldn't be sure.

That's not good.

He has about an equal chance of finding the portal or finding the house, he supposed. And the house would be safer, in theory anyways.

Ranboo took a shaky breath and turned back around, starting back towards where he thought the house could be.

-

Someone was knocking at the door.

Techno glanced at Tommy, who was already climbing down the ladder to the basement. He'd gotten used to hiding during Dream's many visits.

Techno sighed and stood, opening the door.

And there, standing in his doorway, was Ranboo. He was shivering hard, shaking underneath Dream's coat. His lips were blue, his skin pale.

Techno narrowed his eyes. "Ranboo? What do you want?"

"I, um." the boy said. "I... something h-happened, and I don't have anywhere to go. Can I p-please stay here? Just for a while." Ranboo's voice shook. God, how long had he been outside?

This was a trap. It had to be. Everything about this felt wrong. Ranboo had been one of the people who tried to execute him, for God's sake. And yet...

_** Help him. Yes. E. Cold, help, protect him. ** _

Techno groaned internally. Who did the voices think he was? Since when was it his job to protect every broken child that appeared on his doorstep? Especially when those children stole his stuff? And what were the odds that it was  Dream  Ranboo was running from? He only had so many hiding spots in his house. Worse, what if Ranboo was on Dream's side, and he would snitch on Tommy?

_** No. Help. Cold, Techno. Cold and scared. ** _

His voices had a bit of a soft spot for runaway kids, apparently.

Techno sighed and stepped to the side. "Come in. Go sit by the fire, it'll help warm you up." 

"T-thank you," Ranboo whispered. Techno grunted in response as Ranboo stumbled in. He sat down in a chair by the fire, his knees up to his chest.

"Ranboo?"

He looked up at Techno, not quite meeting his eyes.

"I'm going to trust you with something very important, alright? And if you break my trust, I can promise you that whatever you're running from will feel like a vacation compared to what I'll do to you. Understood?"

He could see the fear in Ranboo's eyes as he nodded. 

"Good. I'll be right back."

Techno walked over to the ladder and climbed down it, hopping down the last rung. He turned. "You can come out now, Toms."

"Fucking finally," Tommy said, opening the lid of the box he was hiding in. "You two take longer every time, I swear."

"It wasn't Dream, Tommy."

"Dad's home? This late? Thought he would've stayed in L'manberg for the night."

"No, it was-"

But Tommy had already scaled the ladder out of the basement.

Techno quickly climbed the ladder after him, reaching the top rung just as Tommy turned around.

"Da-" He froze, staring at the shivering figure in front of him. Techno put a hand on Tommy's shoulder. 

"'S alright, Tommy. He won't tell."

Tommy nodded slightly as Ranboo spoke.

"Tommy? You're alright? Oh, thank god. Dream's lookin' for you, y-you know. He's worried."

"Why are you here?" Tommy asked flatly.

"I, um. I kinda, needed somewhere to go, a-and Dream told me Techno would-"

"Dream told you?" Techno's voice had a terrifying intensity to it.

"Y-yeah, he said I would be safe here, and that they wouldn't f-find me here."

"Did he say anything about Tommy?"

"Just that he was missing, and that he was worried about him."

Tommy muttered something under his breath as Techno took a step forward. "Did he say anything else?"

"...I... I don't think he did. I don't-I don't remember."

Techno glared at him for a moment. "Remember what I said. I'm trusting you."

"Who're you running from, anyways?" Tommy asked, no concern in his voice.

"Tubbo. He... Dream said I committed treason. Tubbo... executed me." His voice shook slightly on the last part. "Dream said they're looking for me again."

"Tubbo?" Tommy said, confused.

"Wait, what? So they executed you, and now they're trying to do it again? That doesn't make any sense."

"I- I don't know. I don't even know what I  did.  Tubbo has my memory book."

Techno rubbed his eyes. "We can worry about that in the morning. For now, Ranboo, you can sleep in the basement with Tommy. I have an extra bedroll somewhere, and there should be enough space. Toms, would you look for it? I think it's in one of those chests..."

-

Ranboo was jolted awake. Distantly, he heard the sound of water rushing. He shut his eyes tightly and huddled into his blanket, shaking in fear. He sat there for god knows how long, trying to calm his panicked breaths. Visions of the small box, the burning cold water, the suffocating darkness, flashed through his mind.

Ranboo didn't sleep for the rest of the night.

**Author's Note:**

> e
> 
> so yeah, like i said, i'll probably update this at some point. also read my main fic if youd like! its called "I Will Kill God (If I Don't Die First.)" ill probably update that more often (still Very inconsistent updates tho. oops.)
> 
> hope you like it :D feel free to leave a comment!
> 
> (also follow me on twitter @sadyeehaw012 where all i do is scream)


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